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Nobody messes with a prickleskin, unless they have some range. This is a well-known rule-of-thumb for dealing with this shy, retiring species. The origin of prickleskins is shrouded in mystery, but there are rumors among them and among gnomes that the two races are related, the prickleskins resulting from magical experimentation gone completely awry. If these rumors are to be believed, a community of gnomes were seeking for a means to protect themselves while better melding with the natural world. The results achieved what that gnomish community wanted, but also changed them permanently into something almost completely different from what gnomes are supposed to be.

Greatly humbled by the means of their creation, prickleskins are shy but kindly, preferring to be left alone (with ample means to ensure that this happens), but also more than willing to go out of their way to help those in need, even if it means entering physical confrontation.

The race of prickleskins look most like a melding of features of porcupines (or sometimes hedgehogs) onto a small humanoid frame. Their front parts have a layer of soft fur, while their back parts are covered in a sheath of razor-sharp quills or spines which make a formidable weapon as well as an effective defense.

As shy as they are, prickleskins are reticent around bigger races, and prefer the company of smaller folk like dwarves, gnomes, and halflings. They prefer dwarves for their solid natures, which make prickleskins feel more secure, gnomes for their good humor, which prickleskins have largely lost with their change into something entirely new, and halflings because their traveling bands are a rich source of news from the outside, and prickleskins generally do not have very much to steal.

Kindly but reserved, prickleskins are Neutral Good in temperament, preferring to wait and watch before passing judgement, if they pass judgement at all. They love peace and quiet, and think that everybody should have a right to what makes them happy, so long as it doesn’t take away from the happiness of others.

The lands of prickleskins are wooded and hilly, like those of gnomes. However, prickleskins live in the upper reaches of such areas, rather than underground, usually making their homes inside the upper parts of the trunks of especially large trees. Thus, it is both possible and likely that gnomes and prickleskins can live in the exact same areas and never run across each other, save in passing.

Most prickleskins would rather stay at home and watch the world pass by their trees than go out and change it. However, this prickly race are nothing if not kindly and devoted to the balance of the world, as well as to their friends. If called upon by their friends to head into action, or by a serious disturbance in the world that they feel only direct action will solve, then prickleskins will swing into action.

Nature’s Bulwark: Prickleskins are covered with a coat of razor-sharp spines, which provides the following benefits:

+1 natural armor bonus to AC.

Anyone successfully hitting the prickleskin with a small or natural weapon takes 1d3 points of damage (Strength modifier does not add to this damage); no quills are embedded in the opponent’s flesh, however.

A prickleskin can use their spines as a natural weapon, dealing 1d4 piercing damage in melee combat and embedding one quill into the opponent’s flesh on a successful hit.

The quills or spines can be pulled out and thrown like daggers, dealing 1d4 damage and embedding the quill into the opponent’s flesh on a successful hit.

Finally, any quills that successfully embed into an opponent’s flesh will continue to work into the foe’s body, dealing 1 damage per round per quill still embedded; these quills can be removed with either a successful DC 15 Heal check, or by just pulling them out, dealing an additional 1 point of damage per quill removed, but ending the continuing damage.

Gnome Blood: Prickleskins count as gnomes for the purpose of any effect related to race.